City Lead the Way in 2019 Premier League Betting Odds

Manchester City Lead the Way to be winners of the 2019 Premier League title with the bookmakers, while Fulham, Huddersfield and Cardiff City are favourites to be relegated.

While there are still some battles to wrap up in the 2017/18 Premier League season, most notably when it comes to relegation, we more or less know how the narrative finishes: City are champions; United, Spurs and Liverpool are the runners up by a considerable margin. Chelsea (probably) and Arsenal (definitely) were not good enough to finish in the

Champions League spots.

As we begin to look forward to the 2018/19 season, it should be noted that it will mark a decade since a team retained the Premier League trophy. However, bookmakers seemingly think it will be different this time. Betway, one of the main betting sites UK punters visit for Premier League markets, are among the first to release their odds for next season. And, they have made Manchester City odds-on favourites.

Premier League too open for a short-priced favourite before the season starts

The current odds show City at 8/11 to win the 2019 title. Judging by the precedent set in the last ten years, that’s a big call to make. That’s not to say City shouldn’t be favourites: they should certainly be favourites. But, putting any Premier League team at odds-on before the summer transfer window is quite the move. Of course, City are not short of money and will undoubtedly improve on an already excellent squad, but odds-on outrights should be reserved for the Bayern Munichs and PSGs of European football, not for a league that has five or six potential champions.

Surprisingly perhaps, Liverpool have been placed as second-favourites at 9/2. United come in just behind them at 6/1. It is very possible that other bookmakers will reverse those two positions, especially if United emulate the massive summer spending of the past few seasons. The value betting might come with backing Chelsea or Spurs, both of whom are available at 12/1. Arsenal, who will start the season for the first time in over 20 years without a man named Wenger in the dugout, are the outsiders of the ‘Big 6’ at 25/1.

As expected, big odds are on offer for anyone outside the ‘Big 6’

Leicester City in 2016 taught us that anyone can win the Premier League, so some fans may be interested in the 200/1 for the Foxes and the same price for Everton. Burnley, who have been this year’s most surprising performers are available at 500/1. Odds for the others have not yet been released, but it’s safe to say you would have a hefty return should the miracle come to pass.

The question for punters, then, is whether or not it is worth placing an early bet on a team when the current Premier League season has not yet finished. In the case of Manchester City, the answer would have to be ‘no’. It is inconceivable that United and others won’t make big enough signings to alter the odds over the course of the summer. The onus is on them to catch up with City, not the other way around. For that reason, it might be worth backing one of the other Big 6 sides early. Or, perhaps even Burnley, that is if you happen to know of a sultan or oligarch with ambitions on owning Turf Moor.